Anthony Rizzo has 19 homers this year, putting him on a near 40-homer pace by the time the season end rolls around. Dude has power.
That 19th homer came yesterday in the waning innings of the Cubs’ win over the Reds, and it was a blast.
There was no doubt about this one, and you could tell immediately from the pitcher’s reaction that the ball was way gone (via @120Sports):
Anthony Rizzo with a 💣. pic.twitter.com/nIojqhddMb
— 120 Sports (@120Sports) July 2, 2017
The ball was so gone off the bat that the pitcher literally kicked dirt:
What’s particularly interesting about Rizzo’s blast was not how far it went, as it was actually a rather pedestrian 390 feet. Instead, what’s absolutely incredible, is how high Rizzo hit the ball:
— Cubs Exit Velocity (@cubsexitvelo) July 2, 2017
That apex of 164 feet is higher than any other homer hit this season, according to ESPN’s Home Run Tracker. That’s right: Rizzo hit the highest homer of the year.
Evan Altman did a good job of providing context on just how crazy high that Rizzo homer was:
Apex of Rizzo HR: 164 feet
Combined apexes of Happ's HR's: 158 feet— Evan Altman (@DEvanAltman) July 2, 2017